I don’t know much about medieval universities, but maybe this thing was popular because the subjects are sort of vague and subjective? Like maybe a powerful placebo could make you feel you’ve improved at “eloquence” or “dialect”, but it certainly wouldn’t make you able to compute wavefunctions for quantum mechanics. It’s pretty hard to imagine people trying something like this to learn the material for a present-day physics or CS degree, for example. You’d pretty much immediately realize it’s not working.
And yet, knowing how to calculate a wave function helps little with leading a happy life, finding and maintaining good relationships, talking to children, etc.
The more secular we become, the more “gospel” we reject, the more we leave behind, the more …critical thinking… we have to do.
If it’s gonna take until you’re 40+ years old to have it figured it out, then truly what was gained by rejecting dogma?
Somewhat reminiscient of I-Ching
Right. I think for certain things a tool which lets you quiet discursive thought and access the unconscious parts of your mind would be pretty useful. For writing poetry, or deciding whether to divorce your partner, or coming up with new business ideas.
This has always been my interpretation of why things like the I Ching are so enduringly popular.